Late-life Suicide

Causes•沮丧•Recognizing the Signs•What to Do

Aging is a complex physical, mental, social and spiritual process. It affects each individual differently. Some people remain alert and active well into their 90s. Others seem old in every way as early as their 60s.
For many people, senior years are a time to enjoy life, to travel, to do things they weren't able to before retirement. They look back on their lives with satisfaction. But for some others, growing older is a painful, difficult process. Physical and mental health begins to deteriorate. They see their lives as a series of unfulfilled dreams. They feel helpless and hopeless. This kind of outlook, along with other factors, may lead to consideration of suicide.

实际上，美国自杀率最高的率是65岁以上的自杀率，而“老年人”超过65岁，仅占美国总人口的12％，但它们占该国的20％以上自杀。每年，超过6,000名美国人自杀。

Single men over the age of 65 have one of the highest suicide rates in the country. For them depression caused by retirement, death of a spouse or child, and the aging process are difficult to come to terms with. They, along with older women, are reluctant to seek the psychiatric treatment which could alleviate many of their signs of depression.

这些人一个d others like them see suicide as the only solution. But feelings can be changed, and suicide can be prevented.

Causes

Suicide is not caused by any one factor, but likely by a combination of them. Suicide is often a result of depression, loss of self-esteem, and inability to see a positive future. Some factors that influence the attitudes and behaviors of older people include:

Decline in physical, mental and emotional health
Reduced mobility
Fear of disability
经济和环境局限性
人际关系的变化，尤其是婚姻状况（配偶离婚或死亡）
Life situations; retirement
Social isolation
Substance abuse, especially alcohol
Prior psychiatric illness, especially clinical depression

Any combination of these factors may lead an older individual to consider suicide as a solution to a problem or crisis that causes much emotional pain.

沮丧

抑郁被认为是自杀的高度普遍原因。自杀自杀的人中约有75％是沮丧的。人们经常将抑郁症误认为是“蓝调”，因此疾病没有治疗。抑郁症是由许多因素引起的，从化学失衡到心理构成再到环境影响。抑郁症患者可能会显示以下一个或多个行为：

有价值的感觉，绝望，无助，无动于衷和/或不合理的罪恶感
Prolonged sadness; unexplained crying spells
Jumpiness or irritability
退出以前愉快的活动或人际关系
Inability to concentrate or remember details; indecisiveness
Noticeable change in appetite with sudden weight loss or gain
Changes in sleep patterns: constant fatigue, insomnia, early waking, oversleeping
Physical ailments that cannot be explained otherwise
Thoughts of death or suicide attempts

Recognizing the Signs

Most cases of suicide in older adults are not impulsive, and therefore there is time to help a potential victim. A person who is considering suicide will probably:

show signs of depression;
talk about or seem preoccupied with death;
give away important possessions;
suddenly put personal affairs in order;
neglect hygiene and self-care;
停止服药或遵循饮食；
acquire a weapon.

What to Do

If you suspect someone is at risk of committing suicide, you should always take suicidal signs seriously. Ask the person if he or she is considering suicide. Become involved or offer support, hope, encouragement and understanding. Never dare the person to do it; he or she just might. Most importantly, take action immediately.

There are many resources available to help suicidal elders, including crisis intervention agencies and crisis hotlines, support groups and psychiatric hospitals.

Remember, Alzheimer's disease does not protect one from depression and suicide.